Meal advice

[poohbearwithme]

Next year my sister and her family and me and mine are going to try if to go to WDW. If we go we will most likely be camping at FW. One of the questions I have for frequent FW campers is: Is it worth the money you save and the hassels to leave the park to go back to camp and make lunch and dinner. Eating a lot of our meals at camp was one of the ways we were going to try to save money. How hard is it to leave the park, get transportation to FW, eat, and then go back to the park? Does this always end up as a good intention but because everyone is too tired to make anything, you all go out to eat, therefore, spending more money than you planned, or does it work out fine? I don't want to spend money to stock food at camp to turn around and pay to go out to eat because that would end up costing more. Any and all advice on this would be greatly appreciated. I have never been to FW before and the best advice comes from those who have been there and done that.

 

[indigoxtreme]

It is a long way back to FW from everywhere except MK. When we stayed there we ate a large breakfast and then had lunch in the park, then a late dinner back at FW. Now if you are going in the summer and you have little ones like we did once staying there, we ate a large BK then came back around 1:00 and had a break, naps for the little ones and then went back to a park around 4:00, stayed a few hours and came back to a late dinner, of course the little ones I had fruit and other snack in the back pack for them since lunch and dinner would be late. We love FW during the long summer hours. If you have a stroller you can pack a soft side cooler with sandwiches etc each day and bring your own lunch into the parks. I have seen many people doing this, just remember no glass containers.

 

[DURANFAN2]

I think it is good to take some food. If you are traveling from a distance, theres a publix (Great store) and walmart super store within 30minutes of Disney.
I think it depends on your schedule too. Unless its a short hour day at a park, many peeps like to come back and rest so why not have lunch or dinner. If you're on a budget lunch of course IS cheaper at most disney restraunts. (Course theres all $$ categories of restraunts).
I think when you go to EPCOT for example, part of the experience is dining at one the themed restraunts. (We love Mexico's San Angel Inn.) If you have kids and tend to get the burgers/hotdogs thing the restraunts charge $5-7 dollars for a meal like a hotdog &fries.
Theres also some take out food available down at the Trails End at Ft. W, you can get a great pizza all the way for about $20. Last week when we were there we got a 9pc(?) fried chicken dinner, with bisquits/fries and slaw for $20 which was very good.
I do strongly suggest at least bring sodas and beer/ect if you drink. For example last week we forgot the beer and a 6 pack cost over $9. for budwiser. Same things with COKE, you basically pay vending machine prices even though they're in the 6pack.
One meal we always do is steaks on the grill. Easy and its a good reason to spend time on the deck.
We try to be healthy eating wise anyway, and we kind of do one meal out a day then have the other meals at the cabin. Its not even finances with us, its just kind of healthy and it does save money if you have a large party.
Take your bottled water too, why pay 4xs the price in the park.

 

[Andy too]

We would do 1 meal at the parks per day and the rest at the camp or in transit. Breakfast was usually individual cereal boxes eaten on the way to the bus (or waiting for the bus, or waiting for the ferry).

We have only tent camped at the world in December; I don't know if I would to try fixing a meal midday in the heat of the summer. For our family, we need that midday break so we were going back to camp anyway. It helps alot to do easy stuff (sandwiches for example).

Have fun!

 

[juligrl]

Though I have not stayed at FW in my adult/cooking life, I have done plenty of camping (okay vacationing at my cottage - but it's rustic, no running water). I swear by my slow cooker! There's nothing like putting food on in the morning, spending the day out, and coming back to a fully prepared dinner. If that's an option for you, maybe you could save some money and energy by doing something like that.

 

[michelle9343]

We also do most meals at our camper. Always breakfast. We enjoy an afternoon break (from around 1-5 or6) and then head back out to the parks. By doing this we are able to eat all meals at the camper. We do eat a trails Inn the 1 st night for dinner and the last day for breakfast. I sware by my slow cooker. There is a stcky on the top of the page with some great receipes. Have fun.

 

[Swimnoid]

I have had trips when I cook a lot and some where I dont cook much at all. On average though we tend to eat bfast at FW, go to the parks then sometimes we eat lunch in the parks and sometimes we come back for a rest and lunch. When the park hours are late we eat a late lunch at FW then snack at the park then eat something light when we get back. We dont usually want a huge meal at 12 or 1 am. Then we will plan for several meals at our favorite restaurants and try to do somplace new too. On our last 10 day trip we ate about 8 meals out--some CS some TS.

 

[magicforever]

I think that the first question is, have you ever been to Disney? How many days are planning on staying? Are you getting park hopper passes or one day passes? Do you have any young children with you?

If you have never been, and you want to do it all, I would eat breakfast at your campsite or on the way. Then take lunch in with you. Last plan on buying dinner. You can vary this from day to day. There is just sooooo much to do that it takes to long to travel back and forth to the parks. If you are a vet, take your time. Enjoy FW!!!!! It is by far the best campground ever. Oh, and crockpot/slowcooker is definately the way to go. It cooks all day and you can have fun. Feel free to give details and I will give advice. Of course opinions are like you know what, everybodies got one.

 

[MeggP]

We had one ADR for our family of 6. It cost us $175. I bought groceries for a week at Publix and it cost me $131 and I took food home. We went back to FW for dinner. we all enjoyed the break and then went back to a park for the rest of the night. we took sandwiches for lunch and ate breakfast before we left for that day's park.

I had a menu written out before we left home with a grocery list. Very simple things like tacos or burger. One night we had BBQ beef sandwiches and I cooked the meat the previous night while we had dinner so it would be ready the next night.

MeggP

 

[corve77t]

When we stayed a fw, we did breakfeast at camp. We decided how much we were going to spend for meals in the park. Picked out where we were going to eat, by looking on the web, and we ate the rest of our meals at camp. We always brought snacks during the day, and a couple bottols of ice and filled them up with water when we were thirsty. That way the ice would last longer. With the snacks we could last till around three, and go back to camp and fix dinner. My kids were 4 and 7 at the time.